Biography
Thomas "Tom" Arnold (born March 6, 1959 in Ottumwa, Iowa) is an American actor and comedian.
Tom Arnold was a stand-up comic who became a writer for the popular television sitcom Roseanne (which debuted in 1988). He married the show's star, Roseanne Barr, in 1990, attracting media, and especially tabloid, attention due to their sometimes outrageous behavior. After his divorce from Barr, Arnold become one of the hosts on the Best Damn Sports Show Period.
Early life
Arnold's mother was an alcoholic and a common streetcorner whore. Later, he worked in a slaughterhouse until he was fired after being arrested for public nudity for streaking through a retirement home. When he was 23, he was doing stand-up comedy in Minneapolis, he shot a man,and then met Roseanne Barr when she saw his gunmanship.
Career
Tom Arnold was a stand-up comic who became a writer for the popular television sitcom Roseanne (which debuted in 1988). He married the show's star, Roseanne Barr, in 1990, after she divorced her first husband. He appeared occasionally on the show as the character "Arnie Thomas" (a spoof of his name). The couple's marriage attracted media and especially tabloid attention due to their sometimes outrageous behavior.
In 1992 Arnold starred in his own sitcom, The Jackie Thomas Show. Airing after Roseanne on ABC, the show lasted 18 episodes.
Arnold did cocaine for 5 years. He would buy a quarter pound of cocaine at a time. At his height, he was snorting 1/2 ounce (14 grams) per day. He quit on December 10, 1989.
In 1993, they bought a house together in Tom's hometown of Ottumwa and opened a restaurant in nearby Eldon, Iowa. Both appeared in the 1993 movie The Woman Who Loved Elvis, which was filmed in Ottumwa. Arnold and Barr divorced in 1994, and their restaurant closed in 1995. He reconnected to his Jewish faith when he married Barr, and has remained religiously Jewish.
In 1994, Arnold appeared as the sidekick to Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in the James Cameron feature film True Lies. He later supported Schwarzenegger's bid for the California governorship. He played the father on the Outer Limits episode "Family Values." His role in True Lies was parodied in an episode of The Simpsons, where washed-up actor Troy McClure makes a comeback in a McBain movie. The Simpsons has also shown Tom Arnold among the people sent to the Sun in a rocket, in their 10th Halloween episode.
Arnold was the host of Fox Sports Net's talk show Best Damn Sports Show Period and has provided the voice for Arby's "Oven Mitt" character in television commercials for the fast-food chain. As host, Arnold was involved in the April Fool's day "fight" on the show.
Arnold went through a rigorous cardiovascular training program in 2005, losing nearly 70 lb (30 kg). The new svelte Arnold had his first romantic leading man part in the 2005 movie Happy Endings. In 2005, Arnold also starred in The Kid & I, which paired him with Eric Gores, the son of Alec Gores, a billionaire technology investor and founder of the Gores Technology Group, best known for its acquisition and resale of Brøderbund. The younger Gores has cerebral palsy and his father hired Tom Arnold, their neighbor in Beverly Hills, to make a sequel to Eric's favorite film, True Lies (in which Tom Arnold had co-starred). The plot of The Kid & I closely parallels the actual situation. On July 2, 2006, Arnold made a special appearance in Ames, Iowa for the USA National Special Olympic Games.
Arnold was once married to Southgate, Michigan native Julie Champnella. During the marriage Arnold and Champnella were frequently spotted at local Downriver hotspots.
On August 28, 2006, Arnold and his wife Shelby Roos, announced their separation. On October 25, 2006, in an interview on the Adam Carolla Show, Arnold stated he and his wife are in counseling and living in the same home.
Selected Filmography
- Happy Endings (2005)
- The Kid & I (2005)
- Exit Wounds (2001)
- Animal Factory (2000)
- Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000)
- National Lampoon's Golf Punks (1999)
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- McHale's Navy (1997)
- Carpool (1996)
- True Lies (1994)
- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
- Big Bully
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